Gemini
by Carpe Jugulum
Summary: She was an assassin and a student. Two names, two lives. And sometimes even she couldn't keep them straight.


GEMINI  
  
Author ~ Carpe Jugulum  
  
Rating ~ PG-13 (possibly will go up)  
  
Disclaimer ~ See author's page  
  
Pairings ~ SS/HG  
  
Summary ~ She was an assassin and a student. Two names, two lives. And sometimes even she couldn't keep them straight.  
  
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Prologue ~ Twins in Mind Only  
  
Morgana Wydryn fingered the trigger of her custom Uzi, dispassionately gazing out the dingy motel's grime-covered window. Her target was directly in front of her. Or, at least, he would be if her partner shifted his sorry hide out of her line of fire.  
  
"Severus, move it or lose it!" she muttered, fervently hoping that the man in question had left his earpiece in.  
  
"You know, I can still deduct house points," came the reply, slightly muffled by the cell phone that concealed the microphone. However, deciding his skin was worth more than 10 points from Gryffindor, he called his acting skills into play as he 'stumbled' and came up four feet to the right. "Are we happy now?"  
  
"Quite. You have five ... four ... three ... two ... one ..." Just as her partner hit the paved alley, Morgana pulled the trigger twice and fired off a killing curse with the wand in her left hand simultaneously. Carefully replacing both weapons after she was assured that her intended was dead as a doornail, she replaced both weapons. A shout of "Hey, you!" was all that was needed to recall her still floored partner.  
  
"One of these days, Granger, I will get you back." Severus Snape, Potions Master, espionage agent, and diversion extraordinaire, was apparently Not Pleased. "This is the third time this month I've had to be a distraction while you turn one of our friends into Killing Curse fodder. Take some time off, would you?"  
  
For anyone else, hearing Severus Snape talking amenably to them would be enough to make them start babbling about funeral plans for someone having died of shock. For Hermione Granger, aka Morgana Wydryn, it was just her mentor and friend's way of saying that he was proud of her.  
  
"How many times do I have to remind you? It's Morgana when we're on the job. These lines are tough to hack, but they aren't perfect!" Hermione gently polished the chrome of the gun's chamber, and almost reverently replaced it in its shoulder holster. Shaking her head in a businesslike manner, she seemed to sap back to reality under the amused eye of Snape.  
  
"Come on, we haven't got all day. I have a Potions exam to give tomorrow, and I still need to write it!" Snape, too, seemed to realise it was nearing the supper hour.  
  
"I know. I have to write the damned thing! Gaah, studying after this? Gimme a break?" she asked with a note of false hope in her voice. She didn't bother responding to the shake of his head. "Let's get back."  
  
And with a crack, they Apparated back to the gates of Hogwarts.  
  
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"Harry, Ron! Hurry up! We have that Potions test today!" a exasperated Hermione shouted.  
  
"We'll go fasted if you tell us where you went yesterday," retaliated the redhead in question. Ron glanced at Harry, obviously hoping to get any other answer than-  
  
"NO! For the three thousandth and final time, NO! You know my work is as classified as yours. I don't ask you, you don't ask me. That's the way it works."  
  
By Ron's ever-despairing look, that was the unwanted answer. And one he had heard every time Hermione went missing for a few days at a time.  
  
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At the beginning of the summer between sixth and seventh year, Professor Dumbledore had appeared at 12 Grimmauld Place to talk to the entire Order, including its junior members. He told the students in question that they were going to be training with one of the other Order members in all their skills.  
  
Almost instantly, everyone's greatest fear was being paired with Snape. Ron had the worst of it. Harry had a snowman's chace in Hell of becoming a spy; he'd be killed on sight, and Hermione was Muggleborn. Of the lot, only Ron was a pureblood and could have a reason to turn.  
  
This reasoning was the one that led to Ron becoming much more closely acquainted with the kitchen floor.  
  
"Ronald, you are being paired with myself. We need more strategists, and your chess skills are proof of your ability." Ron sighed his relief; no Snape! "Harry, you are going to be paired with Moody. He will teach you all you need to know." Harry looked slightly apprehensive. The year with the false Moody had made him wary of ex-Aurors with magical eyes and wooden legs. "Virginia," continued Dumbledore blithely, "you will work with Madame Pomfrey as our latest Healer." Ginny grinned; how had he known that her ambition was to become a Healer?  
  
All eyes turned to Hermione, the only one with no pairing. Dumbledore's eyes glimmered, and Hermione's stomach flip-flopped. He couldn't...  
  
"Hermione, you are to be trained by Professor Snape." OK, so he could. Mentally Hermione ran through the entire list of names she used to describe the amused Headmaster. Outwardly, she just nodded her acquiescence.  
  
"Good. Training starts tomorrow at five." The students looked at each other. A day to prepare.  
  
"Tomorrow morning." Not a day, eight hours. Damn.  
  
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Does it pass? I need the encouragement! Flames used to heat my freezing Canadian house (Calgary's at about -50 Celsius, and right now, the Arctic Circle is warmer.). Peterborough (Ontario's where I live) is only about 10 degrees Celsius warmer. Don't ask me for Fahrenheit, I'm on the metric system!  
  
Remember, when all else fails, Carpe Jugulum!  
(Seize the throat!) 


End file.
